Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day gets Western release

31 January 2014

By Rick de Klerk

Namco Bandai Games has announced a Western PlayStation Network release for Suda51’s Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day, along with a pumping English trailer. Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day is a 2.5D sidescrolling platformer with shoot-‘em-up elements thatforms part of the animation omnibus Short Peace. Short Peace highlights four short animated films from a number of renowned anime directors such as Akira‘s Katsuhiro Otomo. Releasing sometime in the first or second quarter of 2014 in both Europe and the US, Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day will include the four films along with the game.

A joint work by Suda51 (No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw) and Yohei Kataoka (the creator behind Tokyo Jungle, which I highly recommend checking out), the game follows Ranko (anime clichés, engage!), a normal high-school girl by day, assassin by night, and only daughter of the head of a conglomerate for rented parking lots. A routine assassination turns into a deadly chase in which she must stay one step ahead of her pursuers.

Wearing an aesthetic that’s reminiscent of El Shaddai with a fusion of modern Japanese pop art and mysticism, the trailer presents a game of manic nature and intent. The project has been on my radar for a while (mostly due to its companion films), so I’m thrilled to see a Western release.